Good Girl, Bad Boy
by Agent Scooter PPC Taskforce
Summary: (complete) The daughter of a Gondorian nobleman is in love with someone "below her station". How will her father take it when she asks for his blessing?


Disclaimer – Gondor and Middle-Earth are not mine. They belong to the Professor. Raen and Levi are the original characters of my friend Wren, Ari belongs to Loren. Everything else is mine!  
  
((A/N – A bit of story written for my writing class...enjoy!))  
  
Good Girl, Bad Boy  
  
By Agent Rosie  
  
He was beautiful to me, even from the beginning, I realize now. It did not matter that he kidnapped me first, or that he nearly killed me later. What mattered is that he finally realized that he loved me. However, it was hard to tell that to my father. He was a nobleman of Gondor, and he would not understand.  
  
"You don't have to do this, Sila," Levi said as he ran his fingers through my hair and looked into my eyes. His eyes were so dark, the sunlight reflecting in them like the stars I love so much. "You don't have to if you don't want to," he repeated. I took a shaky breath and looked across the cobblestone road to the home of my childhood. The home I had tried so hard to escape and leave behind. The courtyard beyond the gat was out of my sight, but I could picture it, ominous and dignified, with hay strewn over the stones that paved it. The outer wall was, I could see, still cracked and chipped—the perfect hand- and foot-holds for adventurous children sneaking out. The upper levels of the stone building peeked over the top of the gate, and I could see my own window in the corner, dark and abandoned.  
  
"I have to tell him," I whispered weakly, wondering if it was actually true. Still, I knew my duty. "It would be wrong not to." Levi sighed and kissed me gently. Oh, how it warmed me on that cold day. Then he took my hand, and the two of us crossed the street and stood before the gated courtyard. I did not even have to raise my hand to knock, which was a blessing. I did not have the strength to do it. It took all I had just to stand proudly before my father's house.  
  
"Lady Sila," the gatekeeper smiled at me, and I somehow managed to smile back.  
  
"Is my father home?" I heard myself asking calmly and clearly. How can I be so calm? I wondered. I am coming to ask the unthinkable! I passed through the gate and felt the overbearing presence of the master of the house, though he was nowhere in sight. My feet carried me forward without a thought as a servant led me to my father's study.  
  
"Lord Eärnil," the servant called. "Your daughter is here." I saw my father stand to his feet, joy upon his face, as he came to greet me. I was a prodigal returned home, so he thought. He embraced me, and I realized how long it had been since I felt his arms around me. Much longer than the time I had been gone.  
  
"My daughter," he said. "My dear Silamiren, how I have missed you." I pulled back and looked at my father, my Ada who I had not seen in over two years. There was more grey in his hair than I remembered, and his forehead was creased with lines of worry and weariness.  
  
"And I missed you, too, Ada." I tried to smile as he turned his attention to the dark-haired, dark-eyed young man I had brought with me. "Ada, this is Levi. Levi, meet my father." I could not help but watch nervously as they shook hands. What would Ada think of him? Levi looked distinguished enough, in new clothes, his hair combed and his face and hands clean. He carried himself with a dignity that could have passed as nobility. I was only afraid of what he might say.  
  
"Are you the one who has kept my daughter safe these two years?" he asked Levi pleasantly.  
  
"Actually, Sir," Levi responded quietly and politely, "I think she is quite capable of taking care of herself." he smiled wryly at me, obviously thinking of the cuts and bruises afforded him during our first weeks of acquaintance. But really, it was only fair. If he had not have kidnapped me, I would not have had to fight him so much.  
  
"Is that so?" Ada saw the smile, and his own wavered. I plastered a wide smile on me face and tried to put him at ease.  
  
"Really, Levi, you exaggerate," I laughed hollowly, and both men joined in. "He protected me quite well, Ada," I added.  
  
"And how did you two...meet?" Ada had a suspicious look on his face, and I knew that I would have to explain our errand before long.  
  
"A mutual friend." Levi said, as polite as you could ask, and I nodded my agreement. "And a bit of luck, if you will," he added, much to my dismay. I had hoped to broach the subject of my relationship with Levi slowly, but if I knew Ada (and I did), he would force an explanation much sooner.  
  
"Luck, did you say?" Ada's smile turned ice cold. Levi nodded, undaunted.  
  
"Or providence, whichever you prefer," Levi inclined his head in submission; a rather mocking motion, I noticed, and planned to berate him for it afterwards. "That, Sir, is the only plausible reason I can think of for coming in contact with such a fine young lady as your daughter," Oh, Levi, I groaned inwardly, You have truly done it this time.  
  
"Indeed," Ada agreed, "She is a fine young lady. By the way, what did you say your occupation was?" Levi's smile froze on his face, and I could tell that he was struggling not to get angry at the implications of Ada's question.  
  
"I'm an all-around expert, I suppose." Levi said evasively. Being a kidnapper and a scoundrel is not something one should tell a father, and he knew it. "I can do many things, and am hired out often at good wages."  
  
"Hm," Ada's face was accusing, and he looked carefully at me. What he wished to learn from my face, however, I could not guess. "Tell me, Levi, do you perchance know a certain rogue by the name of Raen?" Levi shot me a questioning glance and I nodded slowly. It would not do to lie to my father, not with the business we were there to reveal.  
  
"Yes," Levi replied tersely. "I know him,"  
  
"You look surprisingly like him," Ada commented off handedly. I started to speak, but he held up a hand, and I fell silent. "You might know that not even three weeks ago, this...Raen was sentenced to be hung for his numerous crimes. I was there, of course. But before he could be killed, he was rescued," Ada stared at us both, his voice frighteningly quiet. "Two of his rescuers, I have just realized, looked identical to you and my daughter." He glared at Levi. "Explain this."  
  
"Ada, please—"  
  
"No, Sila, I want to know how he forced you to help him."  
  
"But he didn't force me, Ada!" I shouted as Ada fell silent, stunned. Angry tears welled up in my eyes. "Raen is my friend," I whispered, desperation filling my voice.  
  
"And this man here is your friend as well?" Ada sneered. I took a deep breath and stood tall, acting like the noble lady I no longer wished to be.  
  
"He is more than my friend, Ada. I love him." Anger flared up behind Ada's eyes, I could see it, but he kept a calm façade. The same façade he wore day after day in the Royal Court.  
  
"Does he love you, also?" Ada spat the word out as if it were foul. I bit my lip, pain welling up inside me. I did not understand why he thought that Levi was somehow undeserving of my love. Levi was—and is—everything to me.  
  
"I love her more than you'll ever know," Levi said proudly, and drew me near to him.  
  
"We came to ask your blessing, Ada," I said weakly. Why did you decide to do this? I wondered silently. Why did you not leave when you had the chance?  
  
"Blessing?" he hissed. "Do you mean to tell me that you intend to marry this...criminal?" I drew myself up, trying to shield my heart from the verbal blows.  
  
"I do," I declared passionately. "I love him, Ada. Why can't you accept that?"  
  
"Don't make him angrier, Sila," Levi whispered to me. I laughed dryly; he did not know that in Ada's eyes it made no difference what I did anymore.  
  
"I cannot and will not give my blessing on a union with that filth!" Ada exclaimed, his voice booming through the room. "And furthermore, Silamiren, if you choose to stay with him, then you are no daughter of mine!" He stormed out to the garden where we used to play, and I let myself slump, shocked, into Levi's arms.  
  
"It's alright, Sila," he murmured.  
  
"I did not know," I sniffed, "That he would react like...like that," I felt Levi's arms tighten around me.  
  
"If you want," he said slowly, his voice thick with emotion, "You can stay here. I'll stay away from you. He won't have to be angry with you any more."  
  
"No!" I shook my head vehemently, and buried my face in his soft linen shirt. "I will not leave you," The words were muffled by the fabric, but I stayed that way, smelling the smoky scent that is Levi and hearing the rumble of his relieved laughter deep in his chest.  
  
"Shall we go?" he asked gently. "Raen and Ari will be waiting for us," I pulled back and nodded silently, and allowed him to lead me through the house and courtyard that I had entered so hopefully such a short time ago. As we moved down the cobblestone streets of the city, I felt as if the eye of every passerby was on us. Finally we passed through the city gate and came to an old ramshackle building outside of the city walls. There, another dark-haired, dark-eyed man waited, with mischief in his smile and a blonde woman in his arms. They greeted us with smiles and embraces, and I shared a few tears with the woman, my friend whom I knew so well. She knew my story and my pain, and for that I was thankful. I finally took one last look at the city before mounting my horse and riding west with my friends. I sent a silent prayer to Elbereth, begging for strength. Only silent skies answered.  
  
As the sun set in brilliant reds and oranges, four friends rode to new adventures, and in a lonely garden in a cold city of stone, though no one knew it, an old man sat weeping. 


End file.
